


Kiss Me Kirk

by pixiePique



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Five Times, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Life-Saving, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-02-01 04:09:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12697059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixiePique/pseuds/pixiePique
Summary: Five times Bones saves Kirk’s life and the five kisses that come along with it.





	1. Implications

It all started when Bones saved Jim’s life for what seemed like the eight-thousandth time.

“Bones, I could kiss you!” Jim’s voice was hoarse from struggling to breathe

“Save it, kid.” Bones gave Jim’s face a good-natured shove, hiding his sigh of relief. He’d only been eighty percent sure it was going to work, but Jim had started making these horrible shuddering noises and tricorder be damned, he had to get whatever he had in him before he lost his captain.

“Ugh, finally I can be pretty again.” Jim squeezed McCoy’s hand in sincere thanks.

“And you won’t die.” Bones emphasized, raising an eyebrow.

“And people say you never see the bright side of things.” Jim gave a winning smile.

“Only you could go into anaphylactic shock just from shaking an alien’s hand, kid.” Bones shook his head. He really should stop being surprised by now.

“You and the doctor are engaged in a romantic relationship?”

Jim and Bones swiveled to Spock, having forgotten he was there in the excitement. They looked at him for a long time and both of them turned a little pink.

“You said you could kiss him.” Spock finally clarified.

Jim was now the color of Uhura’s uniform. “Is he alright, doctor?” Spock asked, concerned that the antidote had not taken effect.

The doctor brushed him off, voice gruff. “He’s fine.” Spock accepted this, since McCoy was a trained professional and the doctor’s face was almost as red as Jim’s. There was only one logical explanation.

“Why are you both embarrassed?”

“It’s not like that, Spock,” Jim’s shoulders were tight with anxiety. “It’s an expression.”

“Ah,” Spock nodded, satisfied. “So you have not kissed before.”

Jim relaxed and grinned, suddenly mischievous. “What happens at the Academy stays at the Academ- ah!” Jim’s joke ended abruptly as Bones whacked him in the chest with fifty percent strength, causing a medically-safe but satisfying wheeze.

“So you have kissed before.” Spock’s eyebrows drew together, trying to find a conclusion to draw from this strange human discussion.

Finally McCoy snapped. “Everyone out of my sickbay!”

“You heard the man,” Jim began leading Spock out the door, relieved, only to stop and give a sheepish grin when the good doctor caught him by the back of his collar.

“Not you, darlin’.” McCoy dragged him back by the scruff of his neck like a misbehaving kitten. Jim pouted when he saw Spock looking a little too amused at his captain’s situation before heading for the bridge. “You keep acting up and I’ll have you in here ‘til next week.”

“A whole week?” Jim’s voice found an impressive new octave. “Bonesy, sweetheart,” he begged, fluttering his eyelashes. “You wouldn’t do that to me. I feel fine!”

“You just bet I wouldn’t.” Bones muttered, his anger fading. It didn’t make sense, but it sounded good, and that seemed to be the trend with a lot of things he thought lately.


	2. Complex

An away mission!

Jim loved these: scouting for local alien life, watching Sulu cream his pants over new plant species, letting Spock run around with a tricorder like a little kid on christmas. And most importantly, making fun of all of it with Bones by his side- laughing at how many needles the doctor brought with him in case Jim had a reaction, trying to trip him over rocks, cackling with scrunched eyes as Bones whipped his tricorder at his head with a fond expression. He took a second to just breathe in some non-recycled air and enjoy the wonderful lack of pollen on this planet.

Suddenly Jim felt a strong arm wrap around him and yank him rather painfully to the side.

“Bones, what the-” He stopped, noticing the “are you stupid?” look Bones was giving him. It crinkled his sparkling blue eyes, pushing his freckles into clearer focus. His hair was disheveled from the scuffle, brushing across his slightly sweaty forehead. For a moment, Jim was lost in the golden glow in the look of concern from his best friend, feeling his warm hand on his waist, reveling in the closeness of their faces.

Then he turned his head and noticed the wall of spikes that had embedded themselves in the tree behind him, shot from a flower that would have definitely killed him if Bones hadn’t been so quick.

Jim grinned at his best friend. “My hero.” He planted a kiss on McCoy’s cheek and tried to ignore how it made his heart beat faster.

McCoy turned bright red and thrust Jim out of his grip, turning and mumbling something about idiots in gold.

Jim just grinned, letting Sulu give him a knowing pat on the back.

Then Sulu practically sprinted over the death flower to coo and take samples, and Jim laughed.

Everything was back to normal.


	3. Sugar

“Hey there, sugar.” Jim purred, his hands pressing against the plastic in front of him as he stared dreamily at Bones. “When was the last time you kissed a pretty boy?” Before Bones could think of a reply he interrupted. “Tomorrow you’ll be saying yesterday.”

Bones rolled his eyes and continued experimenting on the cure for whatever was making Jim erupt in red spots. “Say whatever you want, beautiful, you’re not coming out of quarantine until this tricorder says you’re good and ready to.” He blew a kiss to Jim through the plastic, smirking at the pitiful expression on the man’s face.

Nobody who’d ever been on shore leave with a pouting Jim envied Bones that night.


	4. Distraction

“Damn, Bones, is your ass an atom? ‘Cause I wanna split it.” Jim was leaning back on Bones’ desk in a manner that any other human or alien might have considered sexy. All Bones could think about was how much the captain was wrinkling his paperwork.

“You risk your neck and mine enough without creating nuclear fission.”

“Oh yeah? Well, just call me DNA Helicase, because I’d love to unzip your genes.”

“Shut up, Jim.” Bones ripped a document out from under Jim’s elbow.

“But I’m bored!” Jim moaned, throwing himself dramatically across even more papers.

“You’re the captain! There can’t be nothing for you to do.” Bones pressed his hands down on the desk, leveling Jim with a raised eyebrow. “What about the department evals?”

“I finished all of it already!” He whined.

“Jim, I’m not your damn babysitter. Go bother Spock if you really have nothing to do.” He pushed Jim off his desk and into a standing position, making a shooing motion towards the door.

Jim shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “I think he and Uhura are… busy.”

Bones let out an involuntary shudder. “I did not need to know about that.”

Jim nodded in agreement. It was silent for a long time, except for the rustling of papers as Bones got back to work.

“What are you doing?” The blond eventually asked, plopping his chin down on Bones’ shoulder.

Bones immediately shrugged his head off, letting out a huff of annoyance. “My job, Jim, because I’m on duty right now.”

“You’re such a grouch.” Jim rolled his eyes, finally moving to sit in a chair like a normal person.

“That’s a funny way to pronounce doctor.” Bones said calmly.

“Bones, don’t be so mean to me!”

“I am busy, Jim!” Bones slammed his hands on the table and sent a glare at his friend.

“I can’t believe this. You were the only person on board who could stand me. Now we’re not even a year into the mission and you already hate my guts.” Jim closed his eyes and leaned back dramatically. “I see how it is.” Bones let out a snort, causing Jim to go even further into mock hysterics. “Don’t try to mend my broken heart, Bones, just let me wither and die.” He scooted forward and let his face fall against the desk with a thud.

Bones sighed and pinched his nose, feeling a classic Jim-induced headache coming on. “If I give you something interesting to think about, will you leave my goddamn sickbay?” He relented.

Jim didn’t move, his voice muffled by the table. “Yes.”

Suddenly Bones scooped some papers into a haphazard stack, dusted his hands off, and turned towards Jim, who perked up expectantly. Leaning down, he took Jim’s face in his hands and kissed him full on the lips. Jim’s eyes widened and he sucked in a breath of surprise. Just as his eyes slipped shut, ready to kiss back, he felt Bones pull away, leaving him half-melted and searching for more.

Bones turned back to his project, picking up a padd and checking off various boxes.

Jim sat quietly for a minute. Then something clicked in his brain- “What?”

“Out.” Bones said curtly.

Jim blinked twice, shocked. “But y-”

“You promised.” Bones cut him off, glaring at him.

Jim blinked once more. “Okay,” he said softly, getting up. “Okay,” he repeated, heading for the door. He looked at the man shyly, worried he’d actually done something wrong. “See you later, Bones.”

Jim imagined he saw his friend’s expression soften just a tad, although he still didn’t look up from his work. “See ya later, darlin’.”

The door slid shut with Jim on the wrong side.


	5. Tease

“Morning, sunshine.”

Jim opened his eyes to find himself in sickbay. “Fuck,” he mumbled, trying to focus.

“Maybe later, stud,” Bones teased. “Sit up for me?”

“Bones?” Jim struggled to sit up, with the help of the doctor’s strong hands. “What happened?”

“Well, you got hit real good with a rock before we managed to convince the locals we came in peace.” Bones’ voice was as gentle as his hands running over Jim’s scalp, checking his wound.

Jim blinked a few times and sat up straighter, already feeling better. “Is everyone else okay?”

“Yeah, kid. We’re all fine.” Bones retrieved a sandwich from nearby and held it out to Jim, who grabbed it with glee. “Worried about you, though.” The doctor turned to Jim’s monitor, mumbling. “Stupid.”

“Ugh, Bones,” Jim quickly took a huge bite, continuing after a painfully fast swallow. “Just marry me already.”

Bones lightly smacked Jim on the shoulder. “Slow down.” He fiddled with Jim’s IV, muttering. “Awake for five seconds, tryin’ to rip your stitches out...”

Jim rolled his eyes, but slowed down as requested.

“Bones, I have to tell you a secret.” He suddenly piped up when he was halfway through the sandwich.

Bones leaned down to listen, a bemused smirk on his face. Jim darted forward and pressed a firm kiss to Bones’ nose before the doctor could blink. Already braced back against his bed, Jim bit his lip to keep from grinning as he waited for Bones’ traditional shouting and spluttering.

Instead, there was silence. Jim let his lip go. This wasn’t normal.

Bones leaned in much more slowly and pressed a kiss to Jim’s cheek. The captain sucked in a gasp and two pairs of blue eyes locked onto each other like a tractor beam, as if the two men could keep each other in range forever if they tried hard enough.

Bones drew back, trying to get his heart rate down to a normal, human speed. Clearing his throat, he tried to bring his doctor voice back, but it came out much more tender and emotional than he wanted. “You’re off for a week, Jim, and that is final.”

Bones didn’t end up having to use his follow-up “I’ll strap you to this bed if I have to, Jim.” 

And Jim didn’t wink and respond with “Promise?” 

Because this time Jim didn’t argue.


	6. Petrification

“Jim!”

The blond was arching his back in pain when Bones ran up to him.

“Jim, oh my god…” Bones knelt for a better look at the huge bleeding wound in Jim’s stomach, his hands fluttering just above the skin.

“Hey Bones…” Jim’s voice was weak, his eyes bouncing around unfocused. He tried for a comforting smile, but ended up scaring Bones half to death when blood came trickling out of the corner of his mouth. “You always look so pretty when you’re trying to save my life.”

“Was the tip poisoned? Is there any burning?” Bones asked, trying to get Jim to focus.

“No, just your average stabbing…” Jim snorted, then winced in pain and instant regret. “This is… wild. Can I get a band-aid or… something?”

Bones whipped out his communicator. “McCoy to Enterprise. Two to beam up, direct to sickbay.” Bones tried to shove down the panic that was quickly rising in his throat as he applied pressure to the wound.

Jim groaned and then seemed to get even less coherent. At this point he was just muttering, looking at Bones like he was all that mattered in the world. “...so good at saving people…” Suddenly Bones felt Jim’s hand grasping weakly at his own blood-covered ones. “Marry me?” The blonde gasped, his eyes pleading.

“Okay.” McCoy said distractedly, looking around the sky for their damn ship.

“...What?” Jim suddenly looked like Christmas came early, even while bleeding out.

“Okay.” Bones said, looking back down at Jim, maintaining the pressure on the wound. “If you get through this for me, I’ll marry you.” He started to tear up and tried to suppress his emotions. Jim need him to be focused, damnit. “Come on, darlin’, just hang on for me.”

Jim tipped his head back, smiling genuinely for the first time since he’d been stabbed. “Yes…” he focused his eyes on McCoy for a moment. “Holding you to that…”

Finally McCoy saw their skin dissolving in golden particles and sighed in relief.


	7. Promise

Jim opened his eyes to the familiar sight of sickbay. 

First thought: This is where I wake up more often than my actual quarters lately. Concerning.

Second thought: OUCH.

Jim sucked in a breath between his teeth, determined not to cry out and bring nurses running. He would call for one calmly. He couldn’t afford for the crew to see him whining like a baby and causing a panic. Not when it wasn’t sarcastic. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished, not for the first time, that he didn’t always have to appear totally fine. He took a deep breath and waited for the pain to subside.

Once it had calmed down, he reached for the call button, only for his fingers to pass through something soft that ruffled at his touch. 

He looked down and his heart melted.

Bones had fallen asleep in the visitors’ chair, his head resting on Jim’s thigh. His breaths gently ruffled Jim’s hospital gown, and he looked about eighteen with his forehead smooth and not crinkled in anger.

“Cute,” Jim breathed.

As Jim was wondering whether he should shake the man awake, he spotted Nurse Chapel walking by. “Hey!” He stage-whispered, waving to get her attention. “Christine!”

She gasped and immediately ran in the room, switching abruptly to tiptoe-ing when she noticed Jim’s hushing motions and remembered just where McCoy had chosen to fall asleep. “Jim!” she whispered, smiling. She quickly busied herself testing Jim’s limb mobility and checking his vitals, careful not to bump the sleeping doctor. “How are you feeling?”

“Terrible,” he said honestly, cracking a smile. “Can I have some of whatever you’ve got in your hand? I’ll take anything.” He joked.

“Well, I’m not going to inject you with the vial of human blood I’m currently holding.” Christine smirked, setting her supplies down. Then her voice turned conspiratorial. “But I think I can sneak you a pain hypo while I’m here.” She picked up a nearby box and shot it into his neck. Jim released a sigh of relief when the fluid began flowing into his veins.

“Hey, how come Bones always stabs the hell out of me with those? It didn’t hurt at all that time.” Jim looked at the sleeping man, still running his hands through his hair. “Thought he was supposed to have the steadiest hands on this ship.”

“He likes to toe the line of the hippocratic oath where you’re concerned,” Christine chuckled. “It’s revenge for making him worry so much with all your near-deaths.”

“That checks out.” Jim smiled fondly at his friend, running his fingers down his stubbled cheek. “How’d you get him to fall asleep?”

“I certainly didn’t illegally hypo him because he stayed awake through three off-shifts and was about to faint onto a tray of scalpels. I would never.” Christine said, straight-faced.

Jim snorted, grateful that someone besides him was willing to take risks to look after Bones. Then Christine grew serious.

“He was so worried about you. We all were,” she clarified, “but he was going out of his mind.” She sat in the visitor’s chair, concerned gaze on Bones. “It was really bad- we didn’t know whether you’d make it, Jim.” Her fingers tapped against her thigh, restless. “He lost it. He couldn’t focus on anything else. I’ve never seen him like that before.”

She leveled her stare on Jim, who was beginning to feel guilt rise in his throat. “Jim, he loves you more than anything.”

“I know.” Jim’s voice was low, the words choked out. “I-”

“I know,” she said. Then she looked back at Bones. “So tell him that.”

Jim nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Should we wake him up?” he asked, unsure.

She took two steps backwards, sensing the impending wrath of Bones. “I think I’ll let you do it.” She smiled.

“Traitor.” Jim smirked at her, then steeled himself against the upcoming screaming fit and nudged Bones’ forehead. “Hey,” he smiled, speaking at a normal volume for the first time since waking, his voice scratchy from disuse. “I’m awake. You can yell at me now.”

Bones blinked awake and grumbled something unintelligible, nuzzling his face further into the blanket. Suddenly he jerked his head up, remembering where he was, and focused on Jim.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, then Bones registered the beeping of the heart monitor and roared to life, checking vitals with flying hands and even, at one point, pressing his hand to Jim’s forehead like a mother in the late 1900s. Christine let him go through the motions a second time, winking at Jim as they both tried not to laugh. Finally he calmed down, seeing that Jim was okay, and turned to his friend.

“You idiot.”

There it was. Jim smiled, only to look horrified when Bones started moving again. Faster than Jim could blink, he raised his hand, ready to administer a hypo Jim hadn’t seen him holding. Thankfully, Christine instinctively snatched it out of his hand, meeting his furious expression with her own withering stare when he turned around to yell at her. “He’s already had one.” Jim’s life saved again, she melted back into her teasing tone. “Try not to put him back in the coma. He’s only just woken up, you see.”

“Might be better for my sanity if I did,” Bones grumbled. Chapel’s tinkling laugh trailed behind her as she left to see to her other patients.

Jim smiled at Bones, waiting for the inevitable lecture about being more careful and not giving Bones a heart attack. He was pretty well on his way to having it memorized, and he was gonna try to mouth the words along with Bones this time to test himself.

But Bones just stared at him.

Finally Jim broke the silence. “I’m not dead.” He grinned.

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m led to believe I have you to thank for that.”

Bones stared at him, silent. Then-

“Ice chips?” Bones offered, holding a paper cup out to Jim, who grabbed them with glee.

“Oh, Bonesy, you do care!” Jim teased, popping one in his mouth.

“Marry me?” Bones said, as if it was nothing more special than the ice chips.

Jim choked, spitting the melted chip onto the blanket. “What?” He was breathless, eyes searching Bones’ face for a clue as to what was happening.

Silence.

“Have some more ice.” Bones said sharply.

Jim tried to sit forward. “Woah, woah, wait-” 

Bones cut him off with a forceful shake of the cup, staring him down until he meekly took the cup and popped another chip in his mouth. “Fank oo,” he mumbled around the melting ice.

“You made me promise,” Bones said by way of an explanation.

“I did what?” Jim squeaked, hands gripping the blanket tight.

“On the planet, you-” Bones took a quick breath and started over. “You were lying there, bleeding all over the goddamn place, and you made me promise-” Another breath, to clear away that image. “If you lived, I promised I’d marry you.”

“Fuck,” Jim breathed, the sound of the heart monitor speeding up. “Shit.” He started breathing faster, his eyes widening as he realized how badly he’d messed up. “Fuck!”

“What?” Bones widened his eyes. “No, I wanted-”

“Bones, I’m so sorry-” Jim interrupted him, their sentences overlapping.

“No, no, Jim, I-” 

“I never, I never should have said that-” Jim ran a hand across his cheek, tears spilling freely now. 

“Okay, no, listen-”

“Because I know you and I know that you don’t feel-”

“Jim, shut the fuck up for a second and-”

Then Jim just started sobbing, sending Bones into a panic.

“Jesus Christ, Jim, let me finish!” Bones cried. He grabbed Jim’s shoulders, bringing their faces close together. “I’m asking here, darlin’,” he admitted.

Jim sniffled and let out a last choking sob, then stopped. His expression melted into one of shock at Bones’ words. After a long pause, he fit the pieces together in his brain. “You’re asking?”

Bones flushed bright red and he finally, finally, reached out and interlaced their fingers. “I’m asking.”

Jim thought he might faint dead away. 

Bones took a deep breath. “James Tiberius Kirk.” He grinned at Jim like he was the goddamned sun. “Will you-”

“Yes,” Jim interrupted, a little too forcefully.

Bones chuckled at the bright grin on Jim’s face. “Well, then.” And he gripped Jim’s hand a little tighter.

Jim let out a small squeak, the tight joy inside of his chest too much not to leak out. “Hey, come here,” he breathed, eyes falling halfway shut as he looked at his Bones, looking so wonderful in the harsh fluorescents of medbay.

Jim reached out and finally, finally pulled him in for a kiss.

“Cool?” He asked when they broke apart.

Bones just grinned and leaned back in for what, he breathed into Jim’s lips, was a “follow-up appointment.”

“Save it for the wedding night, Bones.” Jim’s jab was far too genuine and enthusiastic to pass as sarcasm.

Bones stared at him for a second, then flipped open his communicator. “Medbay to bridge.”

“Hello, Doctor.”

“Jim’s back with the living, folks.”

Jim laughed as the cheers from the bridge echoed down the hall towards him.

McCoy could’ve sworn he heard the Vulcan let out a relieved sigh. “That is excellent news.” Spock said, his even tone somewhat overshadowed by Scotty’s loud whooping in the background, Uhura’s cries of “settle down, you animals,” and the sound of, presumably, Chekov screaming Jim’s name as loudly as possible for thirty seconds.

McCoy chuckled and pressed a kiss into Jim’s forehead as the kid bent over in silent laughter at the crew’s antics. “Can you come to medbay real quick?”

“On my way.” Spock replied.


	8. Follow Through

Spock breezed into sickbay, only to halt when he saw the captain’s hand entangled with the doctor’s.

“Is anything amiss, doctor?”

“Would you please perform a wedding ceremony for me and the captain?”

Spock froze, approximately a million questions running through his head. 

After a long pause, Jim whispered to Bones from the corner of his mouth. “I think we broke him.”

Finally the first officer spat out the question he felt most relevant. “Now?”

“Now.” Bones answered.

“You’re not wasting any time.” Jim said wonderingly.

“Oh, yeah, good point,” Bones looked at Spock. “Make it the shortest one you’ve got. I am sick to death of not being his husband.” Jim blushed fire red and shut his mouth, looking expectantly at Spock.

The Vulcan blinked, then focused and cleared his throat. “Do you, James-”

“Yes!” Jim interrupted, squeezing Bones’ hand excitedly.

Spock raised his eyebrow, amused. “And do you, Leonard-”

“I do.” Bones interjected casually.

Despite his best efforts to stop his smile, the corners of Spock’s mouth turned up as he extended his padd, having pulled up the starfleet wedding certificate form. “If you’ll both spare one moment to sign here,” he said dryly. He felt an uncontrollable crinkle take over his eyes as they fought each other over the padd, McCoy eventually holding it out of reach of Jim in the biobed with a smirk. After signing, his smile became more gentle and he handed it to a pouting Jim, who signed quickly before thrusting it back at Spock and taking McCoy’s hand once again.

Spock was having trouble controlling the twitch of his mouth that threatened to become a full-blown grin. “Then by the powers vested in me by the United Federation, I pronounce you legally married. You may now-”

But Jim had already tugged the doctor into a passionate kiss. Spock turned and left, dismissing himself and leaving them to their devices. While he made his way back to the bridge, he quickly filled out the rest of the wedding certificate and sent it along to Starfleet, already looking forward to the shock and consternation that was sure to make its way through the admiralty. And if he lingered on the adoring looks on the faces of his two favorite humans and grinned to himself in the halls, well, no one was around to see.


	9. Professionalism

Spock appeared on the bridge, looking as amused as the crew had ever seen him.

“You look happy,” Uhura mused. “What did McCoy want?”

“I have just performed a wedding ceremony for Leonard McCoy and James Kirk. They are now officially married.”

Everyone was silent for what seemed like a long time, although Spock was too busy with other thoughts to time it. Finally, Chekov started laughing, breaking the silence and causing an absolute uproar on the bridge for the second time in as many minutes. Scotty pulled out his flask and began offering shots to anyone nearby. Sulu practically fell out of his chair. Uhura straight-up started shouting in Swahili and grabbing Spock’s forearm in excitement. It was complete chaos, and Spock didn’t have the heart to shut them down. 

Until, that is, Scotty started kissing people on the cheek with glee and Spock got caught in the line of fire. It was all business on the bridge real fast after that


	10. Love

“You were sayin’ about the wedding night?” Bones said easily as he leaned back towards Jim’s face.

Jim slapped at him playfully, making Bones chuckle and switch course, peppering kisses on the blond’s cheek. “Bones, I am grievously injured. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“As your CMO, I am declaring your mouth completely healed,” Bones smirked, “and ready for active duty.”

“What about the rest of me?” Jim raised an eyebrow.

“The rest of you needs a few days.” Bones said casually.

“Should we tell our friends that we’re married now, or-” Jim stopped, glancing down with an amused smile at McCoy’s finger on his lips.

“Later.” And before Jim could get another word out McCoy’s lips pressed where his finger was, and the medbay was quieter than it had been since before the voyage began- even with Christine’s muffled snickering from the back room and the echoes of the uproar in the bridge still wafting down the hall.


End file.
